Soil Matters

Are you ready to hear from God?

April 20, 2024

Matthew 13:1-9

When teaching the crowds, the Lord often used parables, which were hard to understand in the moment. Yet now that we have the full revelation of God, these short stories serve as wonderful examples of what it means to live a life of faith.

One parable Jesus told was about a farmer planting seeds that fell in different places: on a path, in shallow soil, among thorns, and on fertile ground. He ended the story with, “The one who has ears, let him hear” (Matt. 13:9). Afterward, the disciples asked Jesus why He chose to teach this way, and He explained that not everyone was willing to hear spiritual truth. But He told the Twelve, “Blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear” (Matthew 13:16). As believers, we are blessed in the same way.

However, learning how to listen to (and act upon) what we hear from the Lord takes time and practice; it’s not a process one can rush through. The fertile soil that Jesus mentions in verse 8 is a heart prepared to hear and respond to His Word (Matthew 13:23). By spending time in prayer and scriptural meditation, we can “rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us” (Hebrews 12:1). In that way, we can become even better, more attuned listeners. What is one thing you can do today to prepare your heart to receive God’s Word?

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